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Storyboard Description

Storyboard Text

“I think it’s a shame,” she said, “that when a policeman gets to be as senior as you, they keep him walking about on his feet all day long.”

Thoughts

“Hullo Sam, I want some potatoes please, Sam. Yes, and I think a can of peas.”

Patrick is a pretty static character in the story Lamb to the Slaughter for; a couple reasons. For one he couldn't really become a dynamic character because he got killed off. We knew what his character was like from the get-go, his tone was slow and depressed, and the first thing he needed was a drink. Dahl referenced his depressed tone and feeling by saying, "she walked over and made the drinks, a stongish one for him" alcohol in the fifties was used for two reasons, for party-ing, and for many cases, drown out sadness or anything that has recently troubled you. He did not get happier throughout the story when he explained himself leaving Mary and did not change anymore because of his murder.

Effects on Others

"I'm afraid so."﻿

"Is he dead?"﻿

Mary constantly is trying to strike a conversation with Patrick but with no avail. This is in part from the time period, women would have to feel honored to be in the presence of a man, they did not need to have to talk to feel grateful. Dahl even says, "﻿She loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man, and to feel – almost as a sunbather feels the sun – that warm male glow that came out of him" referring to the male and female gender roles of the 1950's.

Action

"Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head."﻿

"a slow smiling air about her, and about everything she did. The drop of the head as she bent over her sewing was curiously tranquil. Her skin—for this was her sixth month with child—had acquired a wonderful translucent quality, the mouth was soft, and the eyes, with their new placid look, seemed larger, darker than before."﻿

After Mary murdered Patrick, being the wife to a detective, she knew she needed to act normal and ﻿avoid suspicion, she did not want to see the consequences. Wanted to act normal she decided she needed to go to the grocer and purchase food, but she could not do this without preparation or else she would receive the eye of suspicion.

Looks

She effected herself, the justice system, and the public for lying about the murder and getting away with it When Mary explained her story to the detective she was lying, and she got away with it too. Dahl says "Briefly, she told her story about going out to the grocer and coming back to find him on the floor." which we know isnt true. Getting away with murder affects the greater amount of the public, trust is lost, and the Justice System has failed. But to be fair, the justice system in the 50's was no match to the technology and detective skills that we have today.

Dahl writes, "Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head." this shows that Mary is acting off her emotions. She had just heard the news of Patrick leaving her and was in shock, she didn't know how to cope with it and her emotions got the worse of her and she killed him.She acted both remorseful and fake after the crime which points to no remorse of her husbands death.

Dahl describes Mary as, "a slow smiling air about her, and about everything she did. The drop of the head as she bent over her sewing was curiously tranquil. Her skin—for this was her sixth month with child—had acquired a wonderful translucent quality, the mouth was soft, and the eyes, with their new placid look, seemed larger, darker than before." which is how the "ideal" woman looked in the fifties. It also says Mary is pregnant, this makes Maryh's innocence even more of a possibility because not only do women "not kill" but pregnant women kill even less, right... think again.